This invention relates generally to sensor holders, and in particular, to a holder for a dental x-ray sensing device.
Dental radiographs are made using x-ray examination units, often including an x-ray cone or tube positioned proximate the patient and aligned to take x-rays of certain teeth. Dental x-ray sensing devices, which include including x-ray film units, digital x-ray sensors, charge coupled devices, phosphor imaging plates or the like, often have a generally flat or plate-like configuration and standardized dimensions so that the sensing device can be placed into the oral cavity.
The sensing device is placed into the patient's mouth and held in place proximate to the tooth or teeth to be examined. The x-ray's are directed through the target teeth and then through the sensor. It has been found that proper orientation of the sensor is required to eliminate distortions and improper focus.
To ensure proper orientation of the sensing device, sensor carriers or holders with “bite blocks” have been developed. These devices often have a plate for holding the sensing device and a bite block that the patient bites down upon to position the device and the carried sensor. A bite block is shown for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,473,026.
Different sensing devices are often used depending upon the area of the mouth to be examined. This may include for example, endo, posterior, anterior, left, right, upper and lower bite wings, and the like. Known bite blocks and sensor holders have been individually designed and manufactured for each different type of sensing device. The dimensions of the sensing device and the holder dictate the degree of secured positioning of the sensing device in the holder.
A dental professional may have a large number of x-ray sensing devices with varying sizes and shapes, and hence, a similarly large number of sensor holders. The dental professional is often faced with employing a different sensing device or set of sensing devices, holders and bite blocks depending upon the particular x-ray procedure being employed and the area of the mouth to be examined. At best, it is time consuming to change between sensing devices, sensor holders and bite blocks.
Additionally, some of the known sensor holders are fairly complex in design, and therefore may be relatively costly to manufacture, see for example U.S. Pat. No. 4,965,885. Since some of the sensor holders may not be inexpensive, they must be reused instead of disposed of. In order to reuse the holders, they typically need to be decontaminated and sterilized, or covered, every time they are inserted into a patient's mouth, which can be a rather cumbersome procedure.
Many of the sensor holders were designed for use with x-ray film units, which are more robust, and therefore they may damage a digital x-ray sensor, which is more fragile. Since the digital x-ray sensors can be relatively expensive, much care must be used when using them with many of the current sensor holders.
A need exists therefore, for a sensor holder which can accommodate different sizes and shapes of sensing devices. It has also been found that a need exits for a sensor holder which can hold a sensing device in a variety of positions so that different areas of the mouth may be examined using only one sensor holder. A need also exists for a sensor holder which can be manufactured at a lower cost, thus allowing the user to dispose of the holder. Additionally, a need exists for an improved sensor holder which prevents damage to digital x-ray sensors.